Liquid dispensing machine



May 21, 1957 P. F. GILBERTY 1 2,792,631

LIQUID DISPENSING MACHI NE- v Original Filed March 11, 1953 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 1 INVENTOR. PAM f fi/wf/ery A rme/v'a s y 1, 1957 F. GILBERTY 2,792,631

' LIQUID DISPENSING MACHINE Original Filed March 11, 1953 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V EN TOR.

@401 f @ABf/QTV y 1, 1957 P. F. GILBERTY 2,792,681

v LIQUID DISPENSING MACHINE Originl FiledMarch 11, 1953 4 Sh eets-Sheet 3 IN VEN TOI L 84am. 6454-? v BY W Arraz A/f S y 1, 1957 P. F. GILBERTY 2,792,681 I LIQUID DISPENSING MACHINE V I Original Filed March 11, 1955 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTORY v 5 Arum/5' 5 72,792,681 noun) msrrnsnso MACHINE.

PauliF. .Gilberty, Roslyn Heights Y.., assiguor to DairymatCorporation, Longlslan'dCity, N. Y., a corporationxof'NeWYork Original application Marchull, 1953, Serial. No...1341,657. and: this application August 9, v1954, Serial. N o.

- Claims. (Cl. 53 -283) This application issa divisionv of my :copending iap- ,plication :SerialJNo.:341;65 filed- March 11,. 1 953, for

Liquid Dispensing Machine;

The present invention concern-st a. :machine. for filling containers with liquid, :andrefers more particularly to such a machine for :filling individualzzcream containers for restaurant use, and to .aitypemof containerfi for use with the machine.

An objectof the present invention is the provision of a machine for rapidly filling: ands'caling' under sanitary conditions a large number of disposablecontainers with aliquid such as cream, lorwithtra semhsolid such as ice cream.

Another object is the provisio'nto'f containers for use with said machine, said containersbeing so i packaged as Jt'oi provide maximumtsp'eed and easeof handlingduring filling, andl economyand ease of handling.

in accomplishing :the objects of the'present invention there is-provided acardboard cartonin which 'ten strips of. containers are stacked one'on top of the othen each strip'having ten containers connected side by'sidein a 5 single line.

The carton is placed'in the machine, which moves the lowermost strip of containers laterally to filling-position below ten flexible vertically disposed "tubes spaced in a line so that each tube isover a container.

The tubes'are fed by gravity'from a hopper. A metal plate moving laterally against the tubes closes their lower ends, and a similar plate similarly actuated subsequently closes their upper ends. The lowerplate is thenwithdrawn and a third plate, while the second is still in closed position, moves in to flatten the tubes along substantially their entire length, thus discharging the contents into the containers.

A strip of paper coated with a substance suitable when heated for sealing the container, is in a roll on the ma- "chine and led through a heater comprisingcontact surfaces which resist adhesion by 'the'sealingmatei'ial. The-forward end of this sealing strip is placed in contact with the forward container of the container strip, and as the 'machine advances the container stripawayfrom'filling and toward sealing position, a length of the sealing strip is therebyjpulled into overlying position relative to the containers by the forward motion of the containers.

At the sealing station the machine simultaneously applies pressure to complete the sealing and partially severs by perforating thecontainers' one from the other while maintaining their identical'in-line 'relation. They may thus easily be packed in the sameire'lative position in an identical carton to the one in which they were supplied.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements and arrangements of parts which will be exemplified in the constructions hereinafter described. In the accompanying drawing, in which is shown one of the various possible illustrative embodiments of this invention:

Figure 1 is a irontelevation of 'my machineand'con- *tainer" package. l

2,792,681 Patented May 21, 1957 "Figure 2 isza fragmentary sectional view on the line 22 of Figure .Figure vista fragmentary sectionon the line 3-3 of ,Figure 1.

Figure 4 "is afragmentary-sectional view of the rocker mechanismlzfon the shifting fingers;

Figure 5 is a sectional view of a container transport.channelcofathe machine.

PFigure 6' is a section on the line :6--6 of Figure" 1.

Figure Thhowsthe same parts ina different position.

Referring'now ini detail to the drawings, a rectangular and the tubular cardboard carton: 10 is provided at top and botvtomwithend portions 10A terminating in tuck-in flaps 10B. Carton 'l fl contains'te'n vertically superposed containercstnips 11',veach'.strip11 comprising a single row i of ten. integrally connected container units 12 inside by :sid'erelation. The units 12"may be made of paper and coatedrwith wax or-other substance capable offorming a seal when heated, orthe unit's maybe madeentirely from' some synthetic plastic substance possessing sealing :characteri'stics when heated. As indicated in the draw- {inggthe *hody'ofthe'unit IZ is-a container openat the top and very slightly tapered inwardly toward the bottom.

The-carton 1'0'is held in position on the dispensing machine l3 in'a position slightly inclined from vertical, so

as to function as a magazine which feeds the strips 11- out of its: opened "bottom by gravity at the unloading station "below carton ".10 The-holdingmeans is illustrated asa pa-irof shallow channels 10C mountedon the table 15, into whichcarton 10 maybe slid, aml'comprisi'ng fingers -10D tohold the flaps 1013. f

The machine 13 comprises the'frame 14 0f generally rectangular formation,frame 14 comprisingthetable 15 "on which-all the operative elements are mounted, and

below which and suspended therefrom are mounted the actuating means for the various elements.

Said actuating means includes the electric motor 16 conventionally connected to aspeed reducer and driving a flywheel 1'7 and a'shaft 18 on whichare mounted'five camwheels 19-, 20, 21, 22 and 23.

Flywheel I7 is provided with a crankpin 24 at the end of which is a ball 25 enclosed in the almost spherical housing 26 carried at the upper end of the connecting rod'27, at the lower end of which is a similar housing '28 surroundingly engaging the short arm 29 of the bell" crank lever- 30 which is mounted on the pivot shaft 31 and the longer arm '32thereof slides in the sleeve 33, the latter being pivotally connected to the shuttle bar 34 which is mounted in bearing '35 for longitudinal sliding 'motion relative to table 15. Rotation of flywheel 17 thus produces up and down motion of arm 29 and resulting in reciprocation of shuttle bar 34 longitudinally of table15.

produced places the transporting fingers 37rin vertical, operative, position during the forward travel of the shuttle bar 34, thatis,vto the right in Figure Land in the inclined inoperative position on the return stroke of theshuttle bar. 7

Nine elevator blades 46 are connected by pivots 47 to levers 48 mounted on the fulcrum rod 49, each lever 48 further being under the influence ofa tension coil spring 50'connected to its lower end. Spring-50 maintains roller 5110f lever in following engagement "with cam wheel 19. The shaft 18 of the cams being substantiallyparallel elevate as they move to the right of Figure 2.

The trough 54 is defined by two parallel Z angle irons 55 which extend longitudinally of the machine 13, and

' the upper flange 56 of the container units 12 rides on the irons 55, it being notable that only the under surface of flange 56 engages the irons.

Due to the extremely slight taper of the units 12, the

. units of the superposed strips will tend to nest by gravity, 7

The elevator blades 46 are fiat and in their extended or rightmost position in Figure 2 are positioned between the units 12 of the'strip 11. In

but only to a small extent.

reaching said position the point 57 of the blade, which 1 is substantially below the top surface 58 thereof, has been able to enter freely beneath the upper flat portion 59 connecting together the respective units 12 of the strip 11, the inclined surface 60 then raising the strip 11 free of the strip below it and in which it may have nested, so that a the lower strip is free to advance.

' The cycle of operation of shuttle bar 34 is preferably four seconds. On the forward stroke, with the fingers 37 in vertical position as illustrated in Figure 4, the strip 11 is advanced bodily from its position in trough 54 below carton to filling position below the cream hopper 61.

Hopper 61 has a cover 62 hinged at 63 and provided 7 g with a handle 64. Ten spouts 65 with terminal flanges 66 are connected to hopper 61 at its low point and in communication with the interior thereof for gravity feed of liquid to the spouts. Ten flexible tubes 67 are connected to the spouts 65 extending downwardly therefrom. The tubes 67 are made of any flexible moldable material suitable for sanitary use and will be discarded at the end of a days use. The lower end portion 67A of tube 67 is normally closed but may be forced open by the pressure of the contents of the tube.

A vertical standard 68 mounted on table is engaged by a split bushing 69 with a locking handle 70 and constituting a mount for the pressure plate 71. The filler tube end support plate 72 extends at right angles to pressure plate 71, being supported therefrom and being formed with ten holes through which the lower end portions 67A of tubes 67 extend.

The valve plates 73, 74, 75 are supported on rods 76,

77, 78 respectively, the latter being pivotally connected to the vertical link members 79, 80, 81 mounted on the rod 82. Rods 76, 77, 78 are actuated for horizontal reciprocation by the levers 83, 84, 85 operating as cam followers relative to earns 19, 20, 21 respectively.

In each cycle of operation of machine 13, rod 76 is moved to the right of Figure 3, whereby valve plate 73 compresses the ten tubes 67 to close them at their bottom ends. The remainder of the tubes being in open com munication with hopper 61 will fill with cream by gravity. Rod 78 next moves right to move valve plate 75 into compressing, therefore closing, relation to the top portion of tubes- 67, and a predetermined amount of liquid is thereby enclosed in the tubes between the plates 73, 75. Plate 73 is then withdrawn and plate 74 moves against tubes 46 to compress substantially their entire length, thereby evacuating the contents into the containers 12. The plates 74, 75 are finally retracted and the cycle is then complete. As part of the next cycle the strip 11 of filled containers is then moved by fingers 37 to the sealing station while another strip 11 is moved into the filling station below hopper'fil. Because the lower portions 67A are normally closed the tubes 67 will not drip and evacuation is confined to the intended portion of the cycle.

The trough 54 extends below the carton 10 and hopper 61, and the swing channels 86 extend in longitudinal prolongation of trough 54 at the sealing station 87. Channels 86 are mounted on the pivot shafts 88 and are provided with the cam arms 89 extending perpendicularly a,792,as1

outwardly therefrom andformed with the cam slots 90.

A roll 91 of paper is coated with a wax or other plastic substance capable of forming a seal with the containers 12 when heated. Alternatively the roll 91 may consist of a sheet of plastic material having the described sealing characteristics. The sheet 92 is led between heater elements 93, the surface of said elements being such as to resist adhesion by the heated sheet 92.

As sheet 92 passes under roller 94, it is brought into contact with the advancing strip 11 and adheres thereto, such adhesion providing the connection by which the forward motion of strip 11 advances sheet 92 from roll 91.

A further heater element95, also provided with adhesion resisting face material 96, extends the length of the sealing station 87. When strip 11 is in longitudinal coincidence with heater 95, the sealing bars 97, actuated by conventional connection with cam 22, rise vertically as shown in Figure 7. The cam standards 98 mounted on bars 97 and operating in slots 90, displace the swing channels 86 and bars 97 engage the flanges 56 of containers 12 and press upwardly, whereby the soft strip 92 is sealed to strip 11 by the heat and pressure between heater and bars 97. Simultaneously or immediately thereafter, the containers 12 are partially severed one from the other by conventional perforating cutters actuated by cam 23. Strip 11 is then advanced by shuttle bar 34v to the loading station 99, riding in a trough 100 similar to trough 54.

The perforated. strips 11 are then loaded into cartons 10 similar to those in which they were supplied, and the cartons 10 provide compact and sanitary means by which the liquid may be refrigerated until it is to be used.

' It will thus be seen that there is provided a device in which the several objects of this invention are achieved, and which is vWell adapted to meet the conditions of practical use. As various possible embodiments might be made of the above invention, and as various changes might be made in the embodiments above set forth, it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawing is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What is claimed is:

1. In a filling and closing machine, the combination with a table and means defining a trough extending substantially throughout the length of said table, of a pair of channels mounted on said table, a carton slidingly received in said channels, said carton being slightly inclined from vertical and containing a multiplicity of strips of containers, said strips being superposed one on the other and slightly nested one in the other, said channels defining an unloading station, means at said unloading station depositing said strips one by one in said trough, means located above said trough adjacent said unloading station and simultaneously filling the containers of a strip, means located on said trough adjacent said filling means and simultaneously sealing the containers of a strip, a loading station located adjacent said sealing means; said unloading station, said filling means, said sealing means and said loading station being located along a substantially straight line, said depositing means, said filling means and said sealing means further being synchronised to operate simultaneously upon successive strips, and an elongated, longitudinally reciprocating shuttle bar moving in synchronism with said depositing, filling and sealing means and moving said strips fromone means to the next and to said loading station step by step at each reciprocation of said shuttle bar.

2. In a filling and closing machine, the combination with a table and means defining a trough extending substantially throughout the length of said table, of a pair of channels mounted on said table, a carton slidingly received in said channels, said carton being slightly inclined from vertical and containing a multiplicity of strips of containers, said strips being superposed one on the other and slightly nested one in the othensaid channels defining an unloading station, means at said unloading station depositing said strips one by one in said trough, means located above said trough adjacent said unloading station and simultaneously filling the containers of a strip, means located on said trough adjacent said filling means and simultaneously sealing the containers of a strip, a loading station located adjacent said sealing means; said unloading station, said filling means, said sealing means and said loading station being located along a substantially straight line, said depositing means, said filling means and said sealing means further being synchronised to operate simultaneously upon successive strips and an elongated, longitudinally reciprocating shuttle bar moving in synchronism with said depositing, filling and sealing means and moving said strips from one means to the next and to said loading station step by step at each reciprocation of said shuttle bar, said depositing means comprising a multiplicity of elevator blades located side by side for entry between the units of a strip from one side only thereof, said blades moving in unison and moving laterally of said strips and into supporting engagement with the next to lowest of said strips, lifting the same free of the lowest strip to permit the transportation away of said lowest strip, and withdrawing from engagement with said lifted strip.

3. In a filling and closing machine for use with strips of containers to be filled, the combination of means for holding a carton of said strips with means for depositing said strips one by one in position for use, said depositing means comprising a multiplicity of elevator blades located side by side for entry between the units of a strip from one side only thereof, said blades moving in unison and moving lateraly of said strips and into supporting engagement with the next to lowest of said strips, lifting the same free of the lowest strip to permit the transportation away of said lowest strip, and withdrawing from engagement with said lifted strip, said depositing means further comprising a rest rod and blades having lower inclined surfaces resting on said rod, said blades further having points at their front ends, said blades further having top surfaces and inclined surfaces leading upwardly from said points to said top surfaces, said top surfaces supportingly engaging said strips.

4. In a filling and closing machine, the combination with a table and means defining a trough extending substantially throughout the length of said table, of a pair of channels mounted on said table, a carton slidingly received in said channels, said carton being slightly inclined from vertical and containing a multiplicity of strips of containers, said strips being superposed one on the other and slightly nested one in the other, said channels defining an unloading station, means at said unloading station depositing said strips one by one in said trough, means located above said trough adjacent said unloading station and simultaneously filling the com tainers of a strip, means located on said trough adjacent said filling means and simultaneously sealing the containers of a strip, a loading station located adjacent said sealing means, said unloading station, said filling means, said sealing means and said loading station being located along a substantially straight line, said depositing means, said filling means and said sealing means further being synchronised to operate simultaneously upon successive strips, and an elongated, longitudinally reciprocating shuttle bar moving in synchronism with said depositing, filling and sealing means and moving said strips from one means to the next and to said loading station step by step at each reciprocation of said shuttle bar, said shuttle bar comprising a reciprocating shaft, a sleeve rotatably mounted on said shaft and fixed against axial motion relative thereto, said sleeve comprising a transporting finger rotatable from an operative to an inoperative position, and means rotating said sleeve to operative position upon forward reciprocation of said shaft and to inoperative position upon reverse reciprocation of said shaft.

5. Filling and closing machine according to claim 4, said shaft being driven by a motor, said motor further driving a cam, said cam further moving a bell crank lever, and said bell crank lever engaging said sleeve to rotate the same.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,290,888 Bracy Jan. 14, 1919 2,530,127 Kubik Nov. 14, 1950 2,599,262 Kvederis June 3, 1952 2,671,588 Vogt Mar. 9, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 708,866 France May 5, 1931 778,361 France Dec. 22, 1934 

